About Me

Friday, June 29, 2012

June

The Temple of Bel at Palmyra, Syria

(Called Tadmor in the Bible)

When I was in Syria, I visited Palmyra. I paid admission to enter the site but then they wanted me to pay an additional fee to go and visit the Temple of Bel there. I refused to pay and I didn't go in. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and was amazed at the ruins but I saw no reason to pay admission again. I was wrong. I didn't understand the significance of the Temple of Bel. It is a well preserved temple and courtyard. The significance is that is probably the only place surviving from antiquity that can give us a feeling for what the Temple of Herod at Jerusalem was like. The Temple of Bel dates to nearly the same time and is very similar to Herod's Temple. If we have regime change in Syria, I mean to go back and to see the Temple of Bel.

Endangered Languages: A Project by the Alliance for Linguistic Diversity http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/3696/samples

June 28, 2012-the day freedom died in America. The Supreme Court took a big CRAP on the Constitution before flushing it down the toilet. Justice Roberts ruled that Congress can do whatever it wants as long as it calls it a "tax." America is no longer a free country-we are now a totalitarian police state. I loved my country-it is a sad thing to know that the American dream of liberty and limited government is OVER and most likely gone for ever. It was a beautiful dream while it lasted.

What the American people need to realize that this should be our government. The Supreme Court should serve American people. I was concerned that many conservatives were pinning their hopes upon the Supreme Court. The U.S. Constitution does NOT list three "separate but equal" branches of government, Congress holds authority over the Supreme Court, in how the Constitution is written. They have been allowed to usurp authority. The Supreme Court is now an imperial oligarchy. How could we forget all the evil the Supreme Court has done in the 20th Century? Liberals have been using the courts for decades to circumvent democracy and impose a leftist agenda and still are. When Roberts ruled against Arizona-I knew he was going to rule in favor of Obamacare. He is no conservative. He did "pro-bono" legal services for radical homosexual organizations. (That means he provided free legal services for homosexual groups.) No real conservative would do that.

Bush, Jr is his daddy's boy. He is a liberal NOT a conservative. Like his father he is a globalist. (A globalist is someone who desires to do away with American sovereignty and make America dependent economically on other nations-mostly third world countries and politically dependent upon the United Nations and trade organizations.) Imagining himself to be a "moderate" (like his daddy) he appointed one liberal and one conservative they way his daddy did. (Bush, Sr: Clarence Thomas, conservative, David Souter, liberal. Bush, Jr.,: Samuel Alito, conservative, John Roberts, liberal.)

There is no place for Christians, Evangelicals and Catholics, in Obama's vision for America. He is already forcing Catholic and Protestant institutions to violate their faith and pay for abortions. Now, do you think the Supreme Court is going to protect us from Obama's attacks on our religious liberties? Now, NOTHING is standing in the way of Obama and his radical leftist agenda. Crybaby Boehner and the Republicans are going to do the same thing they have always done NOTHING. Democrats never compromise or reach out to Republicans for the good of the country. They have ABSOLUTE power over the News Media, Entertainment Industry, Academia, publishing, the Bureaucracy, and the Courts. The Liberals are the ESTABLISHMENT. Their left-wing agenda is always moving forward. Liberals relentlessly pursue their goals while conservatives have a real life and try to live it. We can't ignore these issues anymore. We are losing our freedom. We have to stand our ground and fight back against the radical intolerant and hateful Democratic Party. I expect that soon Obama will begin arresting conservative Christians-for thought and speech crimes and crimes of conscience. With this Supreme Court I have no doubt that Christian institutions that refuse to pay for abortions will face arrest.

Supreme Court legalizing falsifying military service

The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a federal law making it a crime to lie about receiving the Medal of Honor and other prized military awards, with justices branding the false claim "contemptible" but nonetheless protected by the First Amendment. The court voted 6-3 in favor of Xavier Alvarez, a former local elected official in California who falsely said he was a decorated war veteran and had pleaded guilty to violating the 2006 law, known as the Stolen Valor Act. The law, enacted when the U.S. was at war in Afghanistan and Iraq, was aimed at people making phony claims of heroism in battle.

Claiming to have served in the military or have won awards that you haven't-is fraud and immoral and their should be legal consequences. One thing that did bother me is the policy that if you attend a "political rally" in uniform you could face administrative action by the military. This was used against Chaplain Klinglesmith. Now that is bogus. Who determines what a political rally is? Now at both the Republican and Democratic Conventions, often soldiers in uniform lead in the pledge or some other patriotic event. Is that isn't a political rally what is? Chaplain Klinglesmith was forced out of the military for attending a prayer rally on the steps of the Capital. At the same time, soldiers go to an anti-War or a gay pride demonstration in uniform and nothing happens to them. So, the policy discriminates against conservatives and is an unfair policy that needs to be struck down.

Homosexuality in the United States Military

As I predicted, the Pentagon is promoting "Gay, Lesbian, Trans-Gendered" pride month. (GLTB). Also, as I predicted, this isn't about homosexuals serving in the military-it is about homosexuals using the military to promote their ideological/political agenda.

Now there was an organization called "The Center for Military Readiness" that discussed the negative consequences of homosexual advocacy in the military-but the site seems to be down. How interesting. That is the problem with the internet-sometimes things just disappear as if they never existed.

A statement by a non-Calvinist faction of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has launched infighting within the nation's largest Protestant denomination, and tensions are expected to escalate Tuesday as church leaders descend on New Orleans. While the election of the denomination's first African American president in its 167-year history will dominate the meeting's headlines, water-cooler talk is sure to be fixated on a theological dirty word that, for the past two weeks, has spiked the blood pressure of theologians as much as it has Baptist visits to Wikipedia. The May 30 document, "A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God's Plan of Salvation," aims "to more carefully express what is generally believed by Southern Baptists about salvation." But both Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Albert Mohler and George W. Truett Theological Seminary professor Roger Olson, in separate blog posts, said that parts of the document sound like semi-Pelagianism, a traditionally heretical understanding of Christian salvation. One sliver of the document's second article particularly drew their ire. It reads, "We deny that Adam's sin resulted in the incapacitation of any person's free will." Even though the two scholars represent opposite ends of the evangelical spectrum on salvation, both made essentially the same allegation: the wording seems, at best, theologically careless and, at worst, represents a heretical understanding of sin, human nature, and the human will. "This is what many laypeople believe that they shouldn't, and pastors and theologians should be correcting," Olson said. "My surprise is that the framers of this statement didn't immediately go back and rewrite it because it is so obviously and blatantly semi-Pelagian."

Olson, a classical Arminian and author of the book Against Calvinism, is unaffiliated with the SBC, but has long asserted that most evangelicals—not just Southern Baptists—adhere to a sort of semi-Pelagian "folk religion," whose origins can be traced to the Second Great Awakening and revivalists in the mold of Charles Finney. He believes the new document proves his thesis. "Traditional Christian doctrine, since Augustine anyway, has always been that people need a special infusion of God's grace to be able to respond to the gospel—both Calvinists and classical Arminians agree on that," he said. "They haven't addressed that here at all." Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, denies the charge. "We are obviously not semi-Pelagians," Patterson said. "We do believe that the entire human race is badly affected by the fall of Adam. However, we don't follow the Reformed view that man is so crippled by the fall that he has no choice."

When I was a little boy, I attended the Presbyterian church (ARPC). I have fond memories of the Presbyterian Church-but I oppose Calvinism. Now, my background is Baptist, Southern Baptist, I am very concerned about radical hyper-Calvinism that has infected the SBC like a malignant cancer and is weakening and killing that once great denomination. Also, very curious things are going on-such as the firing of Richard Land-a brave Baptist who courageously speaks out on social issues. Now, I think it is good to welcome African Americans into the SBC-but is this just some type of political theatre? Is the SBC trying to show that it is moving to the left and Obama-by making a big deal of having the first Black president of the SBC? By the Way-Charles Finney was cool-and the Assyrian Church of the East-can be considered Pelagian-at least according to Christoph Baumer's "Church of the East" coffee table book. Personally, if being anti-Calvinist is "Pelagian," then I am a proud Pelagian. There was a Pelagian website-and an anti-Calvinist Southern Baptist website-both of which mysteriously disappeared.

Peshitta Primacy

Good morning Rev. Missick,

I've recently been curious about the source languages of the Holy Word of God. And, while I've been a discple of Jesus for most of my life I have always felt that Aramaic is one of the source languages. My study of this began a couple of months ago by a web search. This took me initially to Rev. Glenn David Bauscher and some of his work on the subject. Initially I started reading Rev. Bauscher's translation of the New Teatament from the Aramaic. You make no mention of his work in your book Treasures of the Language of Jesus. I'm curious if you are familiar with Rev. Bauscher and what you think about his point of view. He maintains a web site at www.aramaicnt.com. I've found your book to be informative and objective. So, that is why I'm seeking your opinion here as I want to be certain I'm walking down the right path in my study.

Thank you for your time and efforts for the cause of Our Lord and Savior, Yeshua Meshikha.

Mike

Shalama!

It is good to have a Syriac Bible. Get one! But the Pauline Epistles were not written in Aramaic. Jan Magiera has a good translation of the Peshitta New Testament. Gorgias Press has good publications available-but their products are expensive. They are going to publish the entire Peshitta-Old and New Testament-probably in a five or six volume edition-at $100 a pop! There is a Murdock translation from the 1800s that is good and not prohibitively expensive. www.aramaicnt.com states that the entire Peshitta is the original New Testament-that is wrong. I don't see any harm in getting a copy of their version-as long as you understand what the Peshitta is-and isn't. Strictly speaking, Jesus spoke Galilean/Western Aramaic. The Peshitta is very similar to the Aramaic spoken by Jesus-but it isn't the exact same dialect. Fragments of a Palestinian "Syriac" Bible were found in Israel and Jordan. These fragments come closer to the Aramaic spoken by Jesus than the Syriac Peshitta. Lamsa's publications are readable but in certain places erroneous. These Primicisits annoy me. You have Hebrew primicists saying Jesus only spoke Hebrew. No-Jesus clearly spoke Aramaic-that is what the New Testament clearly says. Peshitta primicists annoy me too. The Peshitta-Old and New Testaments are important-but its not the original version of the Bible. As a translation of the words of Jesus back into Aramaic it is a helpful tool for the study of the Aramaic words of Jesus. (The Syriac Old Testament was translated from the Hebrew by messianic Jews-in the early second century. It is an important witness to the text of the Old Testament.) I try to be honest and balanced. I have a youtube channel www.youtube.com/aramaic12. I also have a blog: www.aramaicherald.blogspot.com. In the back of my book "The Language of Jesus: Introducing Aramaic." I have an Aramaic Resource Guide. I have written a few books on Aramaic besides the "Treaures" book and that includes "The Words of Jesus in the Original Aramaic." My books are available at amazon. I am not perfect. I have my opinions and passions. I work hard to make my opinions-informed opinions. Sometimes, as a human being, I make mistakes. But I want to be truthful as possible. Go forth and study-get my "The Language of Jesus" book. I think it could be a helpful tool for you.

May God (Alaha in Aramaic) richly bless you,

Stephen A. Missick

Cyber-bullying on youtube

This cyberbullying (of me) trend is in response to my youtube video "The Aramaic New Testament." I stated in the video the FACT that, while the Peshitta is an important tool in studying the words of Jesus in his original Aramaic language-the Peshitta is a translation of the Greek-which is obvious to any rational person who actually reads it. Also, the Syriac Bible scholars would often consult the Greek.

Stephen: The Peshitta is important-but the New Testament﻿ is written in Greek. We should go back to the Aramaic. Check out my book "Aramaic: The Language of Jesus of Nazareth" and my youtube channel aramaic12.

Cyber-bully: "YourCelestialGov has made a comment on The Aramaic New Testament: Oh, and apparently Steven has never been to an Assembly of the East! The Peshitta is the only Scriptures﻿ read in their Assemblies."

Stephen: I have lived in Aramaic Christian villages in the Middle East-I have lived there-in Iraq-for YEARS. I met the Assyrian Patriarch of the Church of the East in person-and have videos I filmed of Aramaic services in the US and Middle East on my channel! I know what I am talking about-YOU DON'T.

Cyber-bully "YourCelestialGov": The claim that no one knew anything about Aramaic until the movie THE CHRIST is false. The PeshittA has been world renowned, just ask Etheridge, Murdock, or Lamsa, as they translated it hundreds of years ago. Note Steven memntions these scolars as having translated the Aramaic into English along time ago and that Lamsa was good at﻿ promoting his translation here in the United States.

Stephen: What I meant is that most parishoners don't know anything about Aramaic-and suppose﻿ Jesus spoke Hebrew-because he﻿ was Jewish-or Greek-because that is the language of the New Testament. Several good Bible scholars have written on Aramaic. I list recommended sholars in my aramaic resource guide in my books.

Cyber-bully "Ghostdancer 1984": this guy [referring to me-Stephen] is a fool. he only believes that the peshitta is not the original because his teachers have told them this. the peshitta is much closer to the orignal, has the poetic flow of most semitic writings, and clears up numerous confusions. greek is a crap language that jesus never spoke, and the disciples never wrote in. it is better to eat the flesh﻿ of swine then to speak greek.

Stephen: I am a "fool"? A fool is a person with knee-jerk reaction who responds﻿ by prejudice [that means "pre-judging] instead of evaluating the evidence. I have taught myself Aramaic and studied the Aramaic Christian heritage on my own. Such classes aren't hardly offered anywhere-except Leiden University and I think Abiliene Christian College. Why don't you read Aristotle and Plato. I recommend "Greek Ways" by Thornton. You need to form an informed opinion. Greeks had strengths and weaknesses.

Cyber-bully: Ghostdancer 1984: ALL OF THE EARLY﻿ CHURCH FATHERS STATE THE APOSTLES WROTE THE GOSPELS IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEBREWS!!!! look up papias.

Stephen: Papias﻿ is considered a questionable source by modern scholarship. And, most of the church fathers called Aramaic "Hebrew." Eusebius makes it very clear that the apostles spoke "only Aramaic."

More cyber-bullying: Responding to the liberal:

Excellent points made about the information of Aramaic Christians. You had be interested up until the ending parts of the video. Extreme bias was quite evident. Why don't you talk about the deaths in Iraq by the U.S. Govt? Why﻿ don't you talk about the motives for the attacks on American soil? Kudos for spreading propaganda.

My response: Upwards of 30,000 innocent Iraqi civilians were killed in Iraq-by Al-Qaida terrorists. The motivations for an attack on American soil is the desire of Islam to dominate all religions and the entire world. If you are interested in their motives-you can read Al-Qaida writing about their own motives in the book "The Al Qaida Reader" by Raymond Ibrahiem. While I was in Iraq as a soldier we did a lot of humanitarian work for the Iraqi people. But, I suspect the truth doesn't interest you. (Why do liberals always think America is bad and aggressive nations are the good guys?) I've traveled throughout the Middle East and have interacted with Muslims, Christians, and Jews. I have studied the Koran, the history of Islam and the history of Christianity under Islam. I have served in Iraq twice-2003-2004 and 2009-2010. Through experience, training and study-I have gained knowledge and understanding to form an informed opinion. Liberals view reality not based on as it is-or through experience but with wishful thinking and a distorted lens of a corrupt and false political ideology. You live in a fantasy world. Free your mind from Democratic lies and deceitful leftist indoctrination. Liberals are mindless people who mindlessly repeat falsehoods and tripe from know-it-alls who know nothing at all. When I was a teenager, I was a liberal for a few months. Liberalism is a mental disorder-a disease of the mind that thankfully my mental immune system, called common sense and critical thinking, kicked in and I made a complete recovery.

The Intellectual Class Goes MAD!

The "Economist" says that we should support the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt-and "Foreign Affairs" states that Iran acquiring nuclear weapons is a good thing!

Our "experts" are know it alls who know nothing at all-the bad thing is that they evil counsel will lead to war, deaths and human misery.

Muslim Brotherhood rules in Egypt

We believe in the importance of the new Egyptian government upholding universal values, and respecting the rights of all Egyptian citizens -- including women and religious minorities such as Coptic Christians," Carney said. "Millions of Egyptians voted in the election, and President-elect Morsi and the new Egyptian government have both the legitimacy and responsibility of representing a diverse and courageous citizenry." Later in the day, President Obama called Morsi to congratulate him on his victory, underscoring that the U.S. will continue to support Egypt's transition into democracy. The two leaders affirmed their commitment to advancing the many shared interests between the countries, agreeing to stay in close touch in the coming weeks and months. Morsi defeated Ahmed Shafiq, who was prime minister under ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak. The election demonstrated the rapid political rise of the Muslim Brotherhood over the past year -- the group had been officially banned from office under Mubarak. The election results sharply divided lawmakers on Capitol Hill. On his Facebook page, Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., urged Obama to "cut off" U.S. aid to Egypt and "repudiate the Muslim Brotherhood." "A year ago there were those of us who warned the Obama administration of a Muslim Brotherhood takeover in Egypt. We were castigated as alarmists and loose cannons. Today our predictions have come to reality and the ominous specter reminding us of the Iranian revolution is evident," he wrote. "Clearly the Arab Spring is nothing more than a radical Islamic nightmare. Now we need to unequivocally reiterate our support to the Coptic Christians and Israel."

On my blog I discuss other issues-such as Marvel and DC comics promoting homosexuality-Marvel features a minor character (a member of the Canadian "Alpha Flight" superheroes in the X-men Universe) getting married-but they promote it in a big way. DC "outed" one of its Green Lantern's as a homosexual-in an alternate Universe. (There are five human Green Lanterns: Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner. Alan Scott was not a member of the Green Lantern Galactic Police Corps.) I complained to both comic companies in letters which are up at the blog.

Comicpalooza and Comic Books promoting leftwing politics and the homosexual political movement:

I have written and illustrated about five comic books, including "The Assyrians: The Oldest Christian People," which is about the history of Aramaic Christianity. So, I have promoted my comics and various venues. It is disturbing to see how the comic book industry propagrandizes for the Democratic party and left wing politics. A glaring example of this is comic book industry giant and mentally disturbed leftwing radical Alex Ross. Now, both Marvel and DC are prominately promoting the homosexual political movement in their comics. In "Xmen," a "gay marriage" is depicted. In "Earth 2," Green Lantern (Alan Scott) is revealed to be homosexual and is shown French kissing his boyfriend. Yes-in comic books!

Homosexuality has become like a new religious movement in America and around the world. Perhaps, since the left has banished God and Christianity, people need a new cause and so have taken up anal sex as their new cause. Also, people now have the need to feel that they have been victimized and it is easy for homosexuals to claim that. In reality, American society has become very accepting of "gays" and admire them for their "courage" in flouting traditional gender roles. Also, the homosexual community has a huge support network. Since they don't have children (or most don't or won't unless they take extraordinary measures to) they have a greater amount of disposable income that "straight" people who actually have lives and children to feed don't have. So, money goes into their cause. Homosexuals have also managed to dominate the arts and use it to push their agenda. Now, through the comic books-they are targeting children. This isn't right.

Dear Marvel Comics,

I was very disappointed to see you promoting the destruction of traditional marriage in your attack on morality in your recent "X-men" comic.

I buy and read comic books and I take my godson to comic book stores. I am not going to allow my parenting and my attempt to raise him with Christian values to be attacked and undermined by Marvel comics.

So-called "gay marriage" is a divisive and controversial issue and it is inappropriate for this to be promoted by comic books. You can dismiss me as close minded and intolerant if you want-but a large percentage of people agree with me and it seems that you would want to expand your readership instead of driving readers away-especially someone who has read comics his whole life as I have.

This is the third instance of Marvel Comics promoting left-wing politics-and it isn't right. First, you have Captain America ridiculing the TEA party. I have attended two TEA party rallies. All I saw was patriotism there. Why don't you have Captain America attack the "Occupy Wall Street Movement" while you are at it? You also included an obscene reference to "tea-bagging" in that issue-which is vulgar and inappropriate. Then you had the Spider-man/Obama team-up. I don't recall a Spider-man/Bush team-up. And now it looks like Obama is so unpopular that he will most likely lose the election this fall.

Obviously you need to expand your point of view instead of re-enforcing the perception of you all being a bunch of narrow minded left-wing bigots. I strongly recommend that you create diversity on your staff by hiring a few conservatives and Republicans writers and artists so that your comic books are about entertainment and not about pushing left-wing politics.

In the past, Marvel has shown an interest in its Christian readership, or its Catholic readership at any rate, in making comics on Saint Francis, Pope John Paul II, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. You also did a two issue limited series on Jesus, with an issue on the Nativity Story and one on the Passion of the Christ. I commend you for that and I have all those comics. Also, Marvel began with a series "Bible Tales for Young Folks." Why don't you produce some more Biblical and Christian comics to show that you are not anti-Christian?

I would like to know that Marvel Comics is not taking the Left-wing side in the culture war and polarization that this country seems to be experiencing. I hope that you would continue to show sensitivity to your Christian readership as you have done in the past. And if you do realize that you need a conservative creative consultant, I have written and illustrated comic books myself and perhaps I could advise you on how to avoid unnecessarily causing offense and controversy among readers and people who buy your comics. I really believe that Marvel Comics needs to hire a conservative creative consultant so that you can avoid these faux pas.

Dear DC comics,

I was very offended to see your promotion of homosexuality in your Earth 2 comics. I buy and read comic books and I have since my childhood. This isn't the first time. I was looking at Kyle Rayner Green Lantern a few years ago and you had a gay story line. I was disturbed by this and decided not to read Green Lantern. I am an Evangelical conservative Christian. I buy and read your comics and I find this promotion of homosexuality in the comics offensive. Now, I take my godson to the comic book store. I want to raise him to share my Christian values. I don't like to see my moral code attacked in comic books that I would like to buy and to read. I purchased the first edition of Earth 2-but I am not buying anymore of that series. Don't you want to expand your readership? Why are you creating divisive and offensive storylines? Promoting divisive and controversial issues is inappropriate for comic books. You can dismiss me as close minded and intolerant if you want-but a large percentage of people agree with me and it seems that you would want to expand your readership instead of driving readers away-especially someone who has read comics his whole life as I have.

While I am at it-I have a few more comments. The "Superboy prime" included some excessive violence. I understand comics will be a little violent-but the disemboweling is going over the top. Also, please keep the language PG-13. I like Guy Gardner as he is now. I never liked his "Moe from the 3 Stooges" haircut and am glad it's gone. Do not change Guy Gardner's costume please-except for the boots. I don't like the puffy boots-they need to be more form fitting. I also don't like the idea that we have a "grey" world where there isn't a clear right and wrong anymore. Superboy prime going evil because of there being a "grey" world is troubling to me.

Thank you for reprinting Joe Kubert's "The Bible." I met with him and we talked about two things-first, I think that it would have been nice if DC's "The Bible" at least made it to the story of Moses. Secondly, I told him that I think the problem with that comic is that it is as big as a kitchen table. Why wasn't the "Bible" comic standard comic book size?

I am concerned that DC comics is becoming hostile to traditional Judeo-Christian morality. Please don't take the side of the radical left in the culture war and polarization that this country seems to be experiencing. Comic books should be about entertainment and not about pushing left-wing politics.

Could you consider doing a four issue limited series "The Bible" comic book that is standard size? Joe Kubert is still living and perhaps he could supply some of the art. I think this would be a show of good faith that you are sensitive to your Christian and Republican readership.

Online comments on Obama (not mine-but true nonetheless)

Obama has violated our Constitution and his oath as President of the US. 1. He refuses to turn over his REAL birth certificate. 2. He refuses to protect our borders 3. He refuses to up-hold the Marriage Act that Bill Clinton signed. 4. He violated the War Powers Resolution by engaging in war with Libya without the NEEDED consent of Congress 5. Fast and Furious 6. He should be charge with TREASON for mobilizing & funding mob violence, sedition, and insurrection in the sovereign states by his own Presidential reelection organization and personally making statements INCITING people to insurrection, this is a violation of US Penal Code, Chapter 115, section 2383....this is in reference to OWS. 5. He bribed Joe Sestak, Andrew Romanoof and Jim Matheson (a very clear case of bribery in the case of former senator Spector-but Congress doesn't seem to care about Obama's lawless behavior. 6. Obamacare 7. Amensty to illegals via executive order 8. He appointed Richard Cordray to head Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) without Congress approval. 9. He has Holder to enforce states to register more welfare recipients to vote but refuses to enforce the law that force states to clean up voter rolls.